West Henrietta, NY

When Henrietta officially became a town in 1818, it also became the crossroad of Monroe County.

The pioneers settled here on the various crossroads of the town and agriculture became their prominent occupation. Not only is Henrietta the geographical center of the county, it has also become the apex for business and commerce, culture and history.

The history of Henrietta began with the sale of land that is known as the Phelps and Gorham Purchase This purchase opened up western New York State for development after the Revolutionary War. It included over a million acres starting north from Lake Ontario and south to the Pennsylvania border; east from Geneva and west to the Genesee river. The town which later would become Henrietta is located in Township XII, Range VII of that purchase. It had been under the jurisdiction of Pittsford and was called "The Woods of West Town" or sometimes just the 'West-Town'. When the pioneers were not allowed full representation in Pittsford, they broke away and formed their own town in 1818. A new name of "Henrietta" was chosen in honor of Henrietta Laura Pulteney, Countess of Bath. She was the daughter of Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, who was the major British investor of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase in which he bought in 1791.